By CHRIS HARRIS, Staff Writer
Somerset — Christopher Paolini deals in fantasy. Dragons, alternate worlds, fantastic characters are all part of the experience the youthful author creates for his readers.
In January, Paolini provided one more fantasy for someone right here in Pulaski County — a chance to meet one of the genre’s best-selling writers.
Chris Frye, a sophomore at Pulaski County High School, won an opportunity to meet Paolini at his Montana home last month. Frye’s not only a fan of Paolini’s work but also an aspiring writer himself, so the trip truly was the chance of a lifetime.
“It was great,” said Frye. “I’ve been a fan ever since I read (Paolini’s) first book back in the seventh-grade.”
Paolini is the man behind “The Inheritance Cycle,” which began with the book, “Eragon.” That novel, about the discovery of a dragon egg which sets off a great battle, was the second-bestselling paperback of 2005 — it was published in 2003 — and was made into a 2006 film.
Yet for a book recalling ancient and mystical ways, it was actually the work of a prodigy. Paolini began writing “Eragon” when he was only 14 — younger than Frye is now.
For someone like Frye, who would like to one day produce his own written work in the fantasy genre, Paolini’s success shows that big dreams are possible for anyone — even a 16-year-old high school student in Pulaski County.
“I like to write, so of course (Paolini) being so young and becoming a bestseller at 19 inspires me to write more and try as hard as I can to see if my works end up being published,” said Frye, a voracious reader — again, just like Paolini — who said he regularly checks books out of the school library.
The opportunity to meet Paolini was almost as much a matter of chance and fate as anything in a fantasy book. Frye said he had just finished the third book in the cycle, “Brisingr,” and was drawn to the book’s Web site by a thirst to know more.
“I didn’t want to stop being in this world,” said Frye of the book’s land of dragons, kings and elves, “so I looked up a game (relating to it) — puzzles and stuff.”
There he saw an ad for a random drawing offering the chance to go to Paolini’s home and meet the young talent, now 25. “I thought nothing of it and clicked ‘Yes’,” said Frye. “A couple of months later, a lady called me to tell me I would get to go.”
Paolini lives in Paradise Valley, Montana, a landscape full of natural beauty, towering mountains and blue skies like something from another world — an ideal source of creative juice for any fantasy writer. Frye got to do a little sightseeing with his father John, including viewing a portion of Yellowstone National Park — ”It was beautiful out there,” he said — and also got to have dinner with Paolini and pick his brain.
“I didn’t get to do a lot with (Paolini) but I did get to talk to him,” said Frye. “He showed me some books that he found were really useful (to him as a young writer): “Story” by Robert McKee, and a book by Stephen King on how to write horror. He talked about how to not stop writing, just keep on doing it, and after a while, you can tell how much better you start getting.”
The idea being that if Frye continues working hard to fine-tune his craft, he can one day be up there with names like J.R.R. Tolkien, Ray Bradbury — and Christopher Paolini.
